


Welcome, Princess

by K_Avanti



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Ouran High School Host Club, Bad Flirting, Bad Jokes, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Host Clubs, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, don't leave valuables lying around, dorks as hosts, matt is in the squad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-01-08 21:45:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12262677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_Avanti/pseuds/K_Avanti
Summary: All he was looking for was a place to study. He had no intention of finding a group of eccentric hosts in an unlocked classroom on the second floor, and he certainly had no interest in taking part in any activities they had any part of. But a careless stumble during a heated argument, and now he was stuck doing just that.This was going to be the worst school year of Keith's life, he determined right at that moment.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> So this was inspired by Sketch_dumpster's series of sketches of the same theme. If you could go follow her on Instagram, that would be great! (https://www.instagram.com/sketch_dumpster/?hl=en) 
> 
> This will not entirely follow the plot behind Ouran itself, as I feel that just doesn't work for our boys and girls of Voltron. Also, my grammar is far from perfect. I will have probably a million typos and grammatical mistakes. Please forgive me in advance!
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment any ideas or opinions down below :)

“Do you ever get a feeling that you’re not cut out to be on this campus?”

Silence was the only response     

“Of course, not… I’ve really hit rock bottom by asking you, haven’t I?”

_Splash!_      

“After all, I’m talking to a damn fish…”

_Pop, pop_.     

With a disheartened sigh, the student lifted himself from the marble fountain’s edge. A gentle breeze blew leaves across the perfect reflection of the sky above, hardly making so much of a ripple against the perfect picture. Gentle laughter and idle chatter echoed across the mostly abandoned courtyard.     

This whole academy was just a poor decision on his part from the beginning. Students walked around, hardly caring that they waved phones, bags, even nails that cost more than he had to get school lunch for the next two weeks. None of them seemed to know quite how to stay out of his or each other’s business either. Questions or rumors followed each of them around like an annoying shadow.

_“Isn’t that the scholarship kid?”_      

Yes, he was one of the scholarship kids. There was more than one of them, for their information.

_“I heard he cheated to get that score, no way he could afford to be here if he didn’t…”_      

No, he did not cheat on the exam. It was too easy to even consider cheating. Anyone with half of a brain cell could have probably done just as well as he did, not that any of them would know.

_“What is a kid like that even thinking coming here?”_      

At this point, He had no reply to that one. He didn’t know either. Why _was_ he here, subjecting himself to their scrutiny when he could have gone to any other academy in the country for just as good of a scholarship? Yes, it was the best in the country, but any university would have taken the next step down with just as much weight for his test scores. There really wasn’t anything special about the location, nothing more extraordinary about the campus than another for commodities. Why bother with this one?     

Talking to koi in a school fountain hadn’t helped with that answer either.     

His appearance wasn’t helping with his conformity problems, he reasoned. Refusing to wear a constricting tie, he kept his dress shirt undone to flash a black t-shirt underneath. He did, albeit begrudgingly, wear the required black blazer embroidered with the Altea school emblem on the breast as well as the black plaid pants that matched it. The bottom of the slacks remained tucked into the tops of boots that fit his personal tastes. Top it off with a pair of fingerless gloves and a semi-permanent scowl, and Keith just didn’t look the part of an elite high school student.     

It didn’t matter to him. He didn’t know why he was there, but he knew he _wasn’t_ there for anyone’s approval but his own. Let them stare.     

Grabbing the school bag full of textbooks heavier than they needed to be, he started to head back into the academy. The bus that would get him back home wouldn’t get to the station near campus until around five, he had plenty of time to study until then.     

The winding halls before him were relatively desolate, save a few students remaining behind to participate in various school-sponsored clubs.

A wide variety of extracurriculars kept Altea on the map for thousands of students. From fine arts to sports, the academy sponsored them all. It had crossed Keith’s mind briefly to skim through the catalog that the school offered to students to find their interests towards the start of the semester. Each entry into the almost ten-page long list seemed to entice him even the less than the last.

Around ‘Fencing’ he abandoned all hope of finding a club that would suit him and decided to drop the pursuit in favor of having extra study time.     

The halls continued to push further and further forward, seemingly endless as he pressed into them. Most of his classes were in the Eastern wing of the school, known for engineering and mathematics, but that branch was almost entirely locked after school hours were finished due to their impressive collection of materials and a fear that any one of the expensive pieces may break or go missing during unwatched time periods. That left the South wing, only used for club activities around this time or athletics which disqualified it immediately or the West Wing where he’s never set foot in his entire school career.     

Never one to shy away from anything new, Keith decided to enter the stairwell that carried him to the West Wing.     

Even quieter and more desolate than the courtyard, Keith’s steps echoed across the marble as he examined his surroundings. The architecture made it a perfect reflection of the East wing, probably to make things seem more balanced and even. There were large, elaborate paintings across the walls that were absent in the West Wing, probably because this portion of the school focused on the arts and history rather than the sciences. To Keith’s left, large segments of the wall were removed, replaced by pristine glass windows that showcased the gardens and courtyards below that the academy worked tirelessly to uphold. The afternoon sun cast shadows across the opposite wall. It was almost picturesque, Keith acknowledged internally.     

Stopping finally before a random room, Keith looked up towards the number hanging above the door frame. “Three B…” he read aloud, then looked towards the ornate handles of the double doors. He could have sworn he’d heard that room in passing at least once… Ignoring the feeling, he grasped the handle on the right. Keith turned it slowly, feeling it give under his hand. Unlocked.     

A glaring light shone directly in Keith’s eyes, forcing his free hand up to shield them. A chorus of voices originating from a shadowed group of figures carried to him.     

“Welcome, Princess.”     

They all spoke in unison. The wind from the courtyard carried through the open windows behind them, voices just as soft as it was. Curtains danced against the lit backdrop, casting more shadows across the floor behind the unit.     

Six in total, Keith could finally discern as his eyes became accustomed to the lighting in the room. Each one wore the school uniform, each in various degrees of immaculacy, and each personalized in some varying degree. Each stood, leaned, or sat in an ornate love seat in the center of the room pointed towards the door.     

“Uh… Guys? Is it just me or does this ‘princess’ look more like a ‘prince’?” One standing behind the seat asked. Probably the least groomed of the six, this one wore the regular school uniform, buttoned and pressed as it should be. However: the shirt remained untucked; the yellow tie he wore around his neck was tied improperly, lying crooked across his broad chest. His hair was fluffed instead of combed down, but it made him looked softer and more approachable than some of the other people in the group. Kind of like a human teddy bear. On his blazer’s lapel by his heart was a pin of a matching yellow color to his tie. The shape was reminiscent of an inverted triangle, stretched wide with an incomplete diamond removed from the top.     

“Told you we should’ve just gone with ‘welcome’. But no, we definitely wouldn’t get any male customers.” One seated on the armrest of the seat said sarcastically. This one wore the uniform, pressed and tucked as it should be, green bow knot from the female uniform on the male one. She wore a matching shaped pin on her lapel, only green to fit her theme. Pushing up her glasses, she shot a look back over her shoulder. “And either way, shouldn’t we treat him the same we would treat any client?”     

“The trends don’t lie, we haven’t had a male customer all year!” The yellow one threw his hands up. “And I’m sorry, got kind of caught up, nobody arrives this early for the club, let alone a dude!”     

“Enough you two!” Another girl spoke, seated in the chair with her legs crossed gracefully. She stood, dusting her skirt off before approaching Keith who still stood near the now shut door. “I do apologize for any apparent rudeness, we weren’t expecting our first guests for another hour or so, and it is just a tad bit uncommon for gentlemen to join us.” She explained in carefully calculated sentences that sounded almost melodic with her unique accent.

She, just like any of the other members of the crowd, wore the school uniform. Hers included the pleated skirt, as well as crisply cleaned white knee highs and practical penny loafers polished to perfection. Her own theme appeared to be pink, a pink bowknot, a pink pin, and a pink ribbon that held her hair out of her face in a low ponytail. She was the epitome of grace and poise.

“My name is Allura. What’s your name?” she asked with a confident, caring smile.

“Keith.” He replied.

“Keith.” She repeated back to him as if carefully committing it to memory. “So, Keith, what brings you to the Voltron Host Club today?” She asked warmly.  
It took a second for that to sink in.Host… Club?

Host… Club?

“Host Club?!” he coughed, finally understanding exactly where he was and where he had, indeed, heard this room number before. Some girls were gossiping about it before class a few days ago, making plans to go together to meet these infamous hosts.

Out of all the rooms to stumble into, why this one?!

“I see, you must not have realized this was the Host Club room… Monday through Friday, at varying hours on those days, the Three B room is under Voltron.” She explained. “I’m terribly sorry for the misunderstanding! You must be a new student…” she concluded, placing a hand on her chin.

A snort came from the guy beside yellow, and a glance around Allura confirmed it as he held in a snicker.

“Lance.” A commanding voice chided. The person who had been seated beside Allura in the chair was glaring daggers at the offender, Lance.

“Oh no, go ahead,” Keith glared at Lance, “what’s so funny?”

“Nothing, just anyone with half a brain or even a remote semblance of a social life has heard of us.”

“Coming from the brainless wonder over here? Don’t take too much offense to that.” The green one said.

“Shut it, Pidge! I’m not brainless! It’s just that not everyone can be a super genius like you at everything.” Lance crossed his arms as if pouting like a child. “And besides, isn’t it his fault for not knowing where he was and what he was doing here? It’s his fault if he gets any crap.”

“You adding to it isn’t-”

“Don’t bother. It’s just going to go in one ear, bounce around in that empty thick skull of his, and come right out of the other side.” Keith said. Lance shot a glare right back, walking out from behind the couch and approaching the raven with a clear aura of aggravation.

Just like everyone else in the group of Hosts, Lance wore the same school uniform for the males. He was a little less complete, just as Yellow’s was. His tie was tied properly but hung looser above an unbuttoned dress shirt. Any accessory outside of the normal school uniform was blue, including his pin in his lapel.

“Want to say that again, mullet man?”

“Oh? Didn’t hear me the first time? I think that proves my point, don’t you?” Keith shot right back, not one to take anything lying down.

“Lance!” the seated male barked again.

“Shiro, stay out of it! He’s asking for it!” Lance called back.

Dressed in the uniform, Shiro was the most mature looking of the male hosts. Even with a tuff of white hair that seemed less mature, he still seemed older and more stern than the rest. His whole disposition screamed that. His theme was black, a formal black tie and black pin seemed to suit him. It was almost like seeing a young professor rather than a fellow student

Keith pressed himself closer to Lance, glaring into the other’s blue eyes. They seemed to cloud over, like the ocean during a storm with his anger. Keith’s own sparked like a roaring fire.

Neither would admit who swung first. If you asked Lance, he’d say it was Keith out of pure principal that he was provoked into fighting back. If you asked Keith, he’d say Lance for the same reasons. It didn’t matter, however, when they ended up wrestling each other around on the Host Club floor like a pair of rabid dogs.

“Hunk! Get Lance! I’ve got Keith!”

_CRASH!_

“Shit-! Enough!” Shiro called as he grabbed Keith from behind, dragging him away from Lance with almost bruising force. Hunk was busy trying to hold Lance back, grabbing the blue host’s arms and holding them behind his back to prevent full range of motion.

“He started it!” Both warring parties snapped in unison. That only made their rage burn brighter, causing both to struggle in their respective holds harder.

“I did not!” They continued. More struggling.

“Stop copying me!” Both concluded, jerking like men possessed.

“The vase!”

Both stopped as Allura joined the conversation once more, standing beside the shattered remains of a vase lying on the floor beside where the brawl had taken place. “It’s ruined!” she said in complete defeat.

“He started it!” They protested.

“It’s scary how in sync they are…” Pidge muttered, shaking her head.

“Weren’t we going to auction off that vase for the charity gala on Friday? What was the starting bid again?” the final host piped in at long last, his pose reflecting Pidge in almost mirror fashion, this one looked up from a computer situated in his lap, removing the glare from the screen from his lenses to look at the group standing beside what remained of the artifact. “To my understanding, the market value for that vase was…” he thought carefully for a moment “wasn’t it around eighty thousand?”

“Matt’s right, that was one of the most expensive pieces for the exhibit,” Pidge confirmed.

Keith’s lungs cleared any air out of them in a wheeze. “Eighty thousand dollars?!”

“Add the upcharge for handling it all the way from Indonesia, plus the inflation for the charitable cause, we intended to start the bid at about ninety thousand, hoping to sell it at upwards of a hundred thousand…”

“All of that for a stupid vase?!”

“A  _historical_ stupid vase.” He corrected as he stood to enter the chat. As Matt approached, Keith examined him in more detail. He’d passed over this host earlier when he’d come in, not noticing him as much as the others. The only difference between him and Pidge was that he wore a long green tie versus the bow knot. Same pressed uniform, same tucked slacks, same green pin. Remove those ties and they were identical. Twins, Keith concluded in his monetarily induced stupor.

“Let’s put it like this. Even if you blame Lance, he’ll still blame you for part of it-”

“I should blame him for _all_ of it…” Lance muttered, looking away.

“ _Part_ of it,” Matt continued with disregard for Lance’s discontent, “would still most definitely fall on your shoulders to pay back. Judging from what I’ve seen of you in class, you don’t have that kind of money to pay for this, do you?” He asked, already knowing the answer to that question. He shook his head with a sigh. “We can’t just forgive a debt of that proportion, sadly for you.”

“What do we do then?” Allura asked. “Are you suggesting…”

“Precisely.” Matt nodded. His attention turned to face all the hosts in the room. He cleared his throat, straightened his tie, then declared something that made all the blood drain from Keith’s face.

“From today on, to work off his debt, Keith will become a host of Voltron.”

“You have got to be kidding me, him?!” Lance gaped. “He’s just so-“

“Since it’s your fault that he’s here now, you can show him the ropes,” Shiro said coldly. “You’re not entirely innocent in this either, Lance. Treat the new guy right.” He said and let Keith go as Hunk let go of Lance. “Who knows? Maybe you two will become the best of friends.” He said to Lance and Keith’s dismay and clear disapproval.  
They made eye contact once more, now out of the heat of the moment and eyes only full of loathing and disgust. Both knew they were agreeing with the sentiment that ran through their heads at that moment.

_’This is absolutely never going to work.’_

Looking away from one another to the angry, more frightening glares in the room, they both also agreed on another sentiment.

They needed to find a way to make this work… _Or else_.


	2. Chapter Two

“I feel ridiculous,” Keith concluded, watching as his reflection agreed with him.

“You look ridiculous- OW! Pidge!” Lance winced, rubbing at a wounded shoulder when Keith found him in the reflection. Pidge pushed up the glasses on her nose, smirking almost invisibly to herself for an apparently decent blow.

“If you don’t play nice, Shiro and Allura are going to be pissed. Unless you want a one-way ticket to death via Shallura airlines, I’d suggest you learn to pretend to get along.”

A moment of panic flashed across Lance’s features. Keith almost shuddered as well. He knew neither host all that well, however, he knew enough about both from what he’d witnessed already that those words weren’t an idle threat.

Lance snapped back swiftly, grumbling to himself before slumping deeper into his chair.

“And besides,” Pidge turned from the pouting host to look back at their newest member, “I think he looks sharp. Maybe even better than you. I bet we could turn a good buck on him with the guests.” She said with a mischievous glint behind those circular glasses.

That made Lance shoot up faster than Keith could say he’d seen anyone move in recent history. “No way! I give off that ‘warm prince’ this guy so doesn’t have! What lady could resist her prince charming?” To further his point, he proceeded to flash an almost blindingly white grin while his eyebrow quirked in a way Keith could only guess Lance assumed was attractive.

“If they’re looking for prince charming and find you, I can only assume they’d taken a wrong turn along the way.” Hunk piped up. “Can you move your arm up? Need to make sure the seam is the right length for you.” He said to the raven. Keith proceeded to follow the directive, lifting his arm as instructed, watching the big guy’s actions in the mirror. He moved surprisingly quickly for a man of his size, deft with his fingers as he moved a measuring tape around, making mental notes as he went about possible errors or places to take in the fabric for better motion.

“Anyways Keith, that'll be your base uniform when Hunk gets finished with it. All the paladins are permitted to edit it at their discretion, accessorize with what you feel comfortable with. The only things to note are that they should remain within your designated color scheme, and the pin, tie, and blazer are not optional. Allura will be giving them to you after our clients show up today.” Pidge explained.

Keith turned from the neck to attempt to glance back at his glasses-wearing colleague. “Paladin?”

“It’s what we call the hosts,” Hunk explained, “it’s got a cool ring to it, doesn’t it? The ladies seem to get a kick out of it, so we kinda just roll with it.”

“Unless you _want_ to walk around and directly call yourself a host?” Pidge offered.

“I’d rather call myself neither of them…” Keith said, forever the cynic he was.

“See?! He doesn’t even want to e here! What a joke…” Lance threw his hands up in exasperation. “Just let him find another way to pay it off, like get a job and pay in installments or something!”

“Lance. He’s a member of the team now.” Pidge shot him a warning glare which earned another litany of grumbles and scoffs.

Lance wasn’t wrong, however. The whole situation felt wrong to him too. Looking back at the reflection before him, he didn’t feel natural in what he saw.

Hair trimmed to ‘frame the face’ as Hunk had put it as he combed through it and cut back the length to something more manageable (any shorter and Keith would’ve probably put the scissors through the yellow ‘paladin’s’ hand). Clothes neatly pressed and buttoned without a hint of wrinkles. Posture stiff and erect making him seem more statue-esque (not that this part was intentional. Hunk was dangerously close to his skin with too many pins for him to be any other way).

He seemed like an entirely different person despite how small the changes were.

It made him want to back out as fast as possible and make a break for it before they could catch him. He knew that was a fantasy at this point. His mind raced back to through the events of the day.

When did this all start? When did fate decide he’d deserve to have his entire world thrown upside down like it was a leaf in the wind?

Was it accepting his admission decision to Altea high in the first place? Was it waking up this morning and going in to attend classes? Was it deciding to even try studying at all?

Maybe he didn’t wish hard enough on a dandelion when he was a kid. Maybe he passed too many black cats. Maybe it was because he was hated by the very idea that things could go his way.

Any way he questioned it, any way he justified it, it all came back to one thing:  This was his life now. He had to deal with it.

He thought back to his conversation with Allura and Shiro after Matt’s bombshell of an announcement.

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were ordered to go find supplies to fix Keith up for the customers that were going to be coming in within the next hour.

“Wait, he’s starting _today_?” Lance asked, reflecting Keith’s own astonishment with his words perfectly. “He hasn’t been trained at all, he’ll mess things up for sure!”

“We’ll be discussing that with him separately. Now, go assist Hunk and Pidge in finding supplies to prepare Keith for the guests.” Allura said. Lance seemed to desire to protest, but with a look at Allura’s face, his protests seem to die in his throat.

“Fine… We’ll be back as fast as we can.” He went and stalked off with the duo waiting by the door. As soon as it shut behind them, Allura took a seat beside Shiro on the couch. The later was pinching the bridge of his nose with his hands. He wasn’t saying anything, but the meaning was clear. He knew this was as bad of an idea as the rest of them did.

Allura placed a hand on his shoulder in a semblance of comfort.

“Keith. Why don’t you have a seat?” She said with a smile at him. The frazzled raven could only comply as he took a seat in the comfortable chair across from her.

“Now, Keith. I understand that you aren’t well versed on what the goals of this club are, so I will be filling you in so you can start your duties today.”

“But why? I don’t get it, I broke a vase. Why don’t I work at a different job until I can pay you back that way? I can’t be a host. This is will never work.” Keith said immediately. He grew from pensive to aggravated as his words progressed, seeming to clench his fists against his knees.

“Well, it was our vase you broke I’m afraid. We decided that the best way for you to atone for your actions, as well as for us to gain back both the monetary and historical value of the piece that you broke, would be for you to learn our methods and utilize them for our benefit.” She said. It was calculated, and logically it felt as though it should make sense when it came out of her mouth. He could justify it when she said it like that… He snapped himself out of it.

“But I can’t learn your methods. I’m not cut out for what I understand you all do here. I wouldn’t call myself a people pleaser by nature, and I certainly can’t make a career out of it for you all.” He said swiftly.

Allura contemplated what to say next for a moment. “Even if you don’t see it, Keith, we here see potential in you for becoming an excellent member of the team. I believe you have skills that you aren’t even aware you possess, and that will make you an indispensable ally for us here.”

“Indispensable ally?” He pressed.

“I have faith in your abilities. To the point, I’d say you could learn to be good enough that we simply couldn’t function without you.” She explained.

“You’re nuts.”

“ _You_ seem to think there’s another option here still.”

Keith’s attention was drawn to Shiro the instant the other male opened his mouth.         

“Like it or not Keith, you do have to learn how to be one of us now. It’ll be difficult. We won’t lie to you about that. You’re not going to like everything we’re asking you to do with us here. But this is what you must do until you make enough with us to buy out your debt for that vase. You don’t seem you’ve ever been placed in a situation like the one we have here before, which will only make it harder to pick up all the things it takes to be successful here.” Shiro’s voice was commanding, assertive. It made Keith want to listen, drew his focus and drove home the points with confidence and certainty. But then his expression softened. Became slightly warmer and more trustworthy. Keith felt as though he was gazing into the eyes of an older sibling or a best friend he’d known for years rather than a stranger. “But you can do it. It’ll take some practice, but with patience, you’ll learn to make the most of the situation and maybe even come out of this with more than when you went into it with.”

“Worst comes to worst and you’ll only have to do this long enough to pay back sixty thousand dollars,” Matt called from some corner of the room that Keith hadn’t even seen him enter. He seemed to keep to himself as he typed away at a well-lit screen over there, mostly to stay out of the conversation Keith assumed. “If you do this job well enough, that should only take you a semester and a half maximum. At the rates of each guest, as well as reputation you’ll gain through this with online deals, merch, and other factors, that is.”

“Merch-“

“Nothing to worry about right this second,” Allura reassured. “Anyways, we do have to ask you this. Are you sure you are willing to do this?” she asked.

Keith blinked in confusion.

“Legally, we can’t enslave you here. You could sue us for forced imprisonment, slavery, and any matter of things. And besides, an unwilling host won’t produce any benefit for potential clientele. This has to be something that you have consented to.” She said.

“Keeping in mind we won’t take payment in any other way, and would sue you immediately for damaged property…” Matt added to the conversation once again, earning no reply from the other two where Keith hoped to hear some form of protest.

“So? What will it be?” She asked hopefully.

“… Fine. I’ll become a host.” Keith finally managed after a long hesitance.

“Excellent!” Allura’s whole face smiled with her, radiating warmth and comfort in a way that made even Keith’s heart flutter (even knowing that the cause of said joy was his own inevitable pain and suffering from being a member of this club). “Now, some more housekeeping business. Today you will be observing as a host in training. As a sort of preview period, each day you will shadow a different host and watch their actions carefully. You will observe, learn, and adapt to each host’s unique style to develop your own in treating our guests when you eventually become independent.”

“If you ever have any questions about any of our actions, or any of the procedures to handle any situation we may encounter during your shadowing, you can ask the host you’re with. If it’s something more complex and the host doesn’t have the answer, come to Allura or me and we’ll help you. We don’t want you feeling as though you’re going into your own sessions completely blind.” Shiro’s head turned to look at Matt. “Could you go get the other set please?”

With only that less than detailed description, the other green host stood and left the room from the same door the trio had used.

“We’ll have each host try to divert most of the questions, keeping yours to minimums or keeping things simple for you as you adjust,” Allura reassured. “After you’ve shadowed each host once, you’ll be put to your own first group. Each host will make a round by you, just to check in on how you’re faring, and then you’ll be on your own to do as you please with each session.”

“You only make money for sessions you hold. Profits increase with returning guests, as well as when you have more guests for a day. It’s a motivation to attempt to form relationships with guests to keep them coming back.”

“So, I need to sell myself to make myself the worthiest of having guests?” Keith raised an eyebrow at that.

“Well… I wouldn’t put it that way…” Allura scrunched her nose up in a way that made it seem as though she was displeased with the wording. “It’s more like you’re forming meaningful relationships with your guests and encouraging them to continue to return to strengthen those bonds.”

“For money?”

“Whatever way you need to think about it.” Shiro joined, finally ending that conversational tangent before it could spread any further. “Continue to encourage guests to join you, and you’ll make enough money to pay back your debt. Simple enough?”

Keith nodded in affirmation.

“Alright.” Shiro nodded. “Any other questions that arise can be directed when the guests arrive. The others should be back any minute to get you prepped for guests.”

And in that moment with perfect timing, the trio returned with all the packages in hand that transformed him into the being standing before the mirror at that moment.

“Keith?”

Keith turned once again, this time with his whole body to face away from the mirrors. Before him, Allura, Shiro, and Matt had joined the group. Allura had that same smile on her face from earlier, and Shiro was joining her. It helped, if only for a second, to remove the nagging out of place feeling that stewed low in his stomach.

“I’m glad to see you so cleaned up, it’s a nice look for you,” Allura reassured once again. In her hands was a black box you’d put a gift in, about the size of a notebook. She grasped it carefully on both sides as if it were too delicate to risk dropping. She held it out to him, and he felt obligated to receive it in the same manner.

“I’m sure that they already told you, but from today on those are required adornments to your uniform as a paladin. You must wear them always when participating in Voltron activities, and you must not give them to anyone else. They are what signifies you as a paladin here.” She explained.

Setting the box down to not drop it when he opened it, Keith lifted the lid and set it aside.

Nestled in a fluffy cloud of white cotton were two items familiar to him through the other paladins:

A red pin accompanied by a red tie of the same shade.

“Red?” He looked to Allura.

She seemed to stare at the colors fondly, eyes softened further as she stared, transfixed. If Keith didn’t know better, there was a deep-seated longing in them just out of sight of the rest that was as quickly doused as exposed.

“It’s a symbol of a paladin willing to take risks. Someone with quick intuition, reflexes, and a penitent for daring. The red paladin is a paladin who will know what to do in the spur of the moment and lets their heart guide them. They’re not afraid of a challenge and know how to take charge at a moment’s notice to receive the best outcome. They understand loyalty, will remain by their leader and team’s side even when things become difficult. They are a strong soul meant to be relied on to make the tough decisions. Historically, the red paladin has always been known as the second in command to the black paladins themselves. It’s a position of high honor and responsibility, but one to be respected. From now on, that paladin is you, Keith.” She said.

Keith lifted the tie first, placing it around his neck carefully.

When had his hand started shaking?

The weight it hefted was incomparable to any tie he’d worn before after the words Allura spoke. He was careful to tie it to the best of his ability, high and clean against the collar of his shirt. It was warm against the front of his shirt as if it carried its own radiating heat or spirit.

All of this from a simple red tie?

Shiro stepped forward immediately after, grabbing the remaining item from the box. He stood before Keith while carefully lifting the lapel from where it rested against his chest, puncturing the fabric with the metal pin and clasping it with a soft snap behind the fabric. He adjusted both sides of the jacket at that moment, straightening them both out to rest evenly and comfortably on Keith’s chest. They made eye contact, and as if he’d known Keith since the day he was born, his whole face was alight with a glowing pride in the new paladin. He then turned Keith to face the mirror once more.

As the black paladin stepped back, Keith was left alone in the forefront of the mirror with the shadowed reflections of his fellow paladins behind him. Just him, in this new feeling before them all.

He was a host- a paladin now.

With another look back towards the rest of the paladins, he regarded each of the looks on their faces. From the warm smiles of Allura and Shiro to the hesitant smile on Hunk’s face; to the interested looks in the twin’s eyes, to the annoyed scowl that seemed to carry across Lance’s whole form. It all was directed towards him, the newest paladin of Voltron.

“Well alright then,” Allura spoke at last, pulling herself from the silent moment with a rousing shake of her head. “It’s almost time for the guests to arrive. Let’s all take positions.”

All the paladins left to retake their spots around that same couch that Keith had walked in on them at. Shiro and Allura sat side by side. Matt and Pidge took one arm of the chair in reflection to one another. Lance and Hunk stood behind the couch.

“So… Where’s Keith gonna sit?” Hunk asked.

“The school dumpster?” There was hope in Lance’s tone. All it ended up earning him was a warning look from Shiro this time which stiffened him instantly.

“Keith, stand beside Lance towards Matt so Lance is in the center.”

The two involved parties seemed disgusted by the very thought of the idea, but the certain look in Allura’s eyes resulted in Keith moving into the formation where she’d instructed.

A solid minute of glaring was exchanged between both before the door opened and a swarm of guests entered the facility.

As if on queue, just like when Keith entered, the chorus of six voices spoke out, “Welcome, princess!”

And with that, his first service began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Chapter two is out! 
> 
> I'm so sorry for everyone interested in this story that it took me this long to get it out to you. I was hoping to make updating weekly, however, it didn't end up working that way this time. I know it was a long wait for something that may have only been more build, but I felt it was necessary to establish the basics before I delved into the major plot of Keith becoming a true host. Next chapter will hopefully cover at least one of the shadowings, so look forward to it! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below.


	3. Chapter Three

“What is this one?” A soft voice asked.

“A chocolate-chestnut tart with a berry coulis, princess.” Hunk spoke with a fond smile about the delicate desert that rested on a white china plate on the silver tray.

The plating was done to look more like a miniature sculpture over something edible. The crust of the tart was thin, baked to a beautiful golden color, the vibrant red of the sauce hatched across the deep brown of the roasted nut and chocolate filling. Finished with a flurry of snowy powder, the five star dessert begged to be put on a pedestal, along with its identical siblings on separate plates that sat beside it on the tray. Keith had to admit, the creator of such a dish belonged well outside the school. Rather, they should have been finding employment in a Michelin star kitchen across the globe.

“If only we could get you to come to _our_ houses to have you cook like this for us there, Hunk.” Another girl pouted.

“There’s no need to seem sad, if you come back again, I’ll always have something special ready and waiting for you.” He followed up. That seemed to please the girls as they giggled and nodded in approval. Their hands swept across the numerous trays and stands for just the right sweet to serve themselves. From cakes to cookies to pastries Keith couldn’t even name, there seemed to be something for every palette.

“You made all of these yourself?” Keith asked Hunk as the girls chattered amongst themselves for a moment, in a daze over what new creation to sample next.

“Yup! Everything is a recipe I’ve created or one my mom’s shared with me over the years.”

The raven’s eyes flashed across the vibrant plates, each color, each flavor, each decoration down to the cherry on top was delicately placed and ornately handled. They returned to the chef in question.

“Yeah, it’s not what a lot of people expect.” Hunk laughed, sensing the new member’s apparent confusion before he could find a polite way to vocalize it. “I love to cook,” the yellow paladin explained, “and what I make seems to make people happy, you know? So if I can share the joy I create for myself when I cook with others, then I feel like I’ve done the right thing.”

Keith could only nod in response.

From the moment all the girls flooded the classroom, he’d been swept aside with Hunk to perform his first shadowing performance. Each girl seemed to know the procedure, shuffling too and fro to a selected couch where each paladin stood, ready and waiting to greet each one individually.

“You’ll be following Hunk today. He’s appointed to work with a smaller crowd today than normal, so it’ll be a gentle step before you dive head first.” Allura spoke while they watched each girl step into the room. She waved and smiled as she spoke to girls who seemed ecstatic to be noticed by her. “Watch how he speaks, and relax. If you feel nervous or lost, feel free to ask questions to any host. We’re here if you need any of us.” She placed her unmoving hand on his shoulder, glancing at him with those azure eyes.

“Right…” he nodded in response.

“Good luck, Keith.” She let go of his shoulder. His feet carried him to stand beside Hunk, waiting at a crimson love seat to the left of the central couch they’d all started at.

Girl’s from all grades came through the room, some Keith recognized, others he didn’t. Most he’d seen in passing as he strolled through the halls between classes, but several were entirely unfamiliar. They each seemed blissfully unaware of his own confusion of the customs as they followed their traditional routes to their final destinations.

“Good afternoon, Hunk!” one chipper girl ran up, a bag with charms bouncing at her hip as she bounded across the room to him.

“Astra, glad you came back.” He greeted as she moved around him to sit at a seat placed at the opposing side of the couch. A twin love seat sat reflected across a table piled high with mountains of sweets and pastries to the one Keith and Hunk leaned against, beside it were two individual cushioned seats per side of the arm rests. She had decided to sit at an individual seat closest to the love seat.

“Hello Hunk, is it okay if my friend and I join you today?” A timid girl approached, a braid resting over her shoulder as a seemingly even less confident friend hid behind her.

“Of course Illia! And what’s your friend’s name?” He asked. He looked towards the hidden form of the other girl who seemed to avert her gaze as soon as she would have met his gaze.

“Marie, she’s in my class.” Illia explained.

“Well, welcome Marie. Feel free to have a seat and grab a pastry. If you’d like my recommendation, the vanilla pudding with the pistachio crust is the best one for the day, but feel free to try whatever you’d like.” His smile was friendly, as if not at all offended that she wouldn’t look up from her friend’s shoulder. They both moved to take seats on the sofa, quietly chatting about the delectable selections before them.

This pattern of greeting girls continued for some time, until each seat but the one they stood against was filled. Each girl seemed even more excited than the next to see Hunk and hear him regard them each with a familiar smile and by name.

And thus began the session.

“So, what have you been learning in class Hunk?”

“We started moving into heavier analytical styles, it’s been really fun! One of these days, I’ll have to show you some of the results of the latest lab I’ve gotten to complete.”

“Did you try that recipe that I gave you? I wanted to know what you thought.”

“I did! I thought the idea of using the condensed milk instead of heavy cream would’ve made it too thick, so I used the cream instead. Maybe some day you could come by and we could work through it together, I’m sure we could make something really awesome together!”

“Have you been taking care of yourself?”

“It’s a lot of work with all of the lab time, but I’ve got the rest of the paladins by my side and they’ve been a great support. We all always have one another’s backs.”

Every response was cordial, but conversational, Keith noted. They seemed genuinely interested in Hunk, as well as everything he spoke about. They were enraptured every time he opened his mouth to speak. Their dedication seemed completely honest, like they had been friends with Hunk all of their lives (and in all honesty, Keith felt the same way. The yellow paladin’s warmth was infectious, to say the least).

“How’s Shay?”

Hunk’s face reddened, and he looked aside. “Geez, bringing that up? She’s good, still doing all of her volunteer work, you know? She works herself super hard all the time, I get worried sometimes that it’s too much. She never complains though, and it just makes me want to try harder. I want to make her as proud of me as I am of her.” He said shyly. The raven was taken aback. The honesty of the statement struck Keith.

It seemed to do the same to the girls as well, as they squeaked and giggled amongst themselves like children a fraction of their age.

"Have you two gotten to go on any dates lately? You seemed excited to ask her last time.” Illia piped up, sitting on the edge of her seat.

“Like I said, she’s been so busy, and I’d hate to burden her any. We did get to sit together at lunch the other day though.” He said, a glint appearing in his eyes as his smile deepened with quiet joy. “We got to sit in the courtyard and talk the whole time about the geography she’s studying. She had a really interesting lecture recently on differences in clay textures and she got so excited. It was so cool to watch her get so passionate about it. I could listen to her talk when she gets like that for hours, it’s the worst that we only had an hour.”

“If only I could get a guy to talk about me like that too.” Illia said with a dreamy sigh.

And that carried back into the conversation about the glittering treats before them.

“It looks like we’re out of tea. Hey, Keith, you wouldn’t mind keeping these ladies company while I go get more, would you?” Hunk asked, grabbing a silver teapot that partnered the trays and stacked towers. Keith’s eyes flashed to the girls who stared at him expectantly.

“Uh- no, I don’t mind.” He responded.

And with that, the newest paladin was alone, with guests.

There was a heavy silence that ran across the group. For what felt like minutes, neither the guests nor Keith said a single word. Finally, a new voice rang up from the love seat.

“S-so do-do you like-like sweets?” her voice was shaking, tripping over itself so softly Keith could’ve missed it if his hearing were any poorer. Marie looked up from what Keith could only assume was a cold cup of tea she’d been staring into since she’d sat down with her companion. Her eyes darted swiftly back into the amber liquid.

Not wanting her to have broken her silence for nothing and thankful he hadn’t had to start the conversation himself, Keith responded quickly, “I don’t mind them. I usually don’t eat anything too sweet, but depending it can be really good.”

It wasn’t the best answer, he concluded when it came out of his mouth. It didn’t feel to him to be as natural as Hunk had made it seem, but he did at least get an answer out.

“What classes are you in?” Another asked.

“I’m a second year, but I’m in some advanced placements for physics.”

It fell into an awkward but steady rhythm of basic questions that were simple to answer. Questions about what Keith enjoyed, what he did in his free time, nothing too intrusive or challenging. It wasn’t as conversational, a bit more like an interview than a chat, but it was going fine.

“What made you decide to become a host?”

Until that.

He caught himself on his answer. What was he supposed to say? He’d been attacked (as he still adamantly persisted) by a peeved brunet with an ego problem and smashed a vase, thus now he remained in servitude until his debts were repaid? He doubted that was the right way to word it.

Luckily, he didn’t need to word it.

“Sorry that took so long, princesses. The leaves spilled and I had to clean it up. You didn’t try scaring him off, right?” Hunk teased. Never in his life had Keith been more thankful for another person to step in.

Hunk’s return seemed to draw attention back away from himself, allowing Keith’s eyes to travel around the room to focus on what the other hosts were doing with their own guests.

Closest was Shiro, who sat on a golden chair with red cushioning, as every other piece of furniture seemed to match. He sat straight, hands moving as he chatted with enraptured clients. He appeared to be telling a story to those around him, serving what seemed to a crowd easily twice the number that Hunk had. They had tea cups as well, but no one seemed interested in beverages, only what Shiro was speaking about. He made a mental note to ask about what the black paladin was sharing later, interested in hearing the story by watching alone.

His eyes traveled to the opposite side of the central couch to where Allura sat, central on a lounger with two women pressed beside her. Her eyes sparkled as the girls spoke, excitedly listening as if any other client listening to what they had to say. Her crowd rivaled the size of Shiro’s, but it was hard for Keith to tell by how tightly the crowd pushed together to speak. In random intervals, they’d break into a scandalized gasp or uncontrollable fits of laughter, like childhood friends who hadn’t seen one another for some time. She seemed just as engaged by their enthusiasm as they did with hers. The group fed off the individual as much as the individual drew from them in perfect harmony.

Towards the back wall was the twins, seated side by side on the same couch. They seemed to be debating furiously between themselves about something that Keith couldn’t quite make out, but by the looks on the client’s faces, nothing vicious was being thrown around. Frustration seemed to plaster across Pidge’s face as she stopped moving her lips, garnering a smirk from her twin (who now lacked his glasses, Keith noted). His hand reached up, placing it on his sister’s head and rubbed, jostling the hair identical to his own in a playful manner that had her shaking her head with a laugh that reached all the way to her eyes. The girls seemed to melt for the sibling’s touching bond.

Finally, his eyes briefly flicked to the final paladin. As Keith could have guessed, he sat between two clients, arm around one with a slick grin and a spark in his eyes that Keith didn’t _want_ to place.

His head shook as he returned his attention to the conversation going on between his mentor and the clients. These were the people he would be spending at least the next semester and a half with, as Matt had so kindly explained. Each of their styles would be shown to him for him to learn and eventually utilize to make his own. He wondered briefly what that would entail, but decided not to worry about it for now.

A loud bell resounded through the room. Cries of anguish and whines of grief echoed as the chimes followed the initial toll with five identical strikes. All of the paladins stood simultaneously. Keith followed with a slight delay.

“Thank you for joining us today, princess!” They all resounded together. All of the guests stood, collecting their items as they chatted among themselves. Keith could make out numerous conversations about plans for the next time, as well as plans for the remainder of each of their afternoons as they filed out as swiftly as they had marched in. Choruses of thank-yous and see-you-laters filled the room until the last guest had filed out.

“And we’re clear.” Matt breathed, loosening his tie as he slouched where Allura once sat. He lifted the thin rimmed glasses and slipped them back on the bridge of his nose, looking towards Hunk and Keith. “So, how’d it go? Learn anything?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“I listened to your solo conversation, you didn’t do bad for a first try. You’ve got potential in you to do really well at this.” Shiro said, placing a hand on his shoulder firmly. “Congratulations on your first day, Keith.”

For some reason, hearing Shiro say it did make it feel more genuine.

“Oh hooray, he didn’t quit.” Lance said, throwing his hands up in what Keith assumed was a semblance at mocking celebration.

“Just ignore him, he’s still a bit upset he’s being penalized as well for his actions.” Allura said as she shot the blue paladin a glare that had his blood running cold. “You’re free to go home for the day, we can understand if you feel drained after your first day.”

The exhaustion washed over him immediately. How he hadn’t felt it when he’d been seated beside Hunk was beyond him.

“Thank you.” He said

“Feel free to keep the uniform until your properly tailored one is completed, Hunk took it in quite nicely so it should serve you well until your official one comes in.” Allura complimented.

“Oh stop, you’re gonna make me blush” Hunk said, pink already dusting his cheeks.

“Have a good night, Keith.” The pink paladin said, handing him his bag with his clothes neatly placed inside.

“Good night.” He said, turning and leaving classroom three B.

His body walked down the hallways he’d walked not long before. The scarlet of the lowering sun began to stain the halls as he walked the way he came, windows stretching shadows into long patterns like wallpaper to his left. His footfall echoed the same way, loud in the silent corridors with an echo that seemed to fill the silence in a way that made it feel even lonelier.

His mind was still reeling, flashing from the then and now to all that had transpired all too suddenly.  
Not four hours ago, he was seated and speaking to fish with nothing else to do, and now he was a paladin of a traditional school host club with more debt to his name than he knew what to do with. Even for him the sudden changes felt too fast to keep track of.

He stopped, turning his head to look into the shadowing courtyard.

It wouldn’t have been his first choice, but it was the choice that was made nonetheless.

With a deep breath and a deeper sigh, his feet carried him further down the hall towards the exit. No point in wasting time and waiting around.

Tomorrow would be another new day, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is a thing.
> 
> Dear anyone who has been following this story since I started writing it, A- thank you so much for your loyalty to this project and B- i am so sorry I have been absolutely awful about timely updates. I'm honestly the worst and writers block as well as college actually want me dead. For those new to the story, thank you for reading! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below.


End file.
